Page 45 of Protecting Addison
She immediately nodded. “Of course.”
“Good. I’ll start the laundry and see you at breakfast.”
Then he kissed her forehead sweetly and climbed off her. But not before Addison saw how the front of his boxers were tented.
“I can take care of that before you go,” she offered.
But Ricky simply smiled. “Again, if you touch me, I won’t be able to get out of this bed. I’ll take care of it in the shower. Won’t take more than thirty seconds.” Then he winked at her and headed for the bathroom.
The orgasm had done what he’d intended, made Addison feel mellow and tired. She heard the shower come on and, like he said, not a minute later, the water shut off. He appeared over her not too long after that, dressed in the T-shirt and shorts he wore to work out with his SEAL team.
He leaned over her and kissed her once more. Long and deep. By the time he pulled back, Addison wanted him all over again.
“Love seeing you like this in our bed. Sleepy, sated, and greedy for more,” he murmured.
Then he turned and disappeared through the door. Addison knew he’d poke his head in the other rooms, checking on the kids before heading out for PT. She heard the washing machine start up, and then she knew no more as she fell back asleep.
* * *
Later that day, Addison could still remember the feel of Ricky’s fingers moving in and out of her body. It was unsettling because she usually wasn’t so…aware of her womanly parts as she went about her normal everyday activities. She was sitting in the waiting room at the hospital on base, waiting to see Ellory’s doctor. Her daughter was on the other side of the room, playing with a kid who was probably around two or three. Addison had no idea why the toddler was there, but her mom looked relieved to have someone else entertaining her son for a few minutes.
Addison was lost in her own head, recalling what had happened that morning, when she heard someone saying her name.
“Addison? Addison Wentz? Is that you?”
Looking up, she saw the face of someone she never thought she’d see again in her life.
Her ex.
Brady Vogel.
Seeing him was a shock. Never in a million years did she think he’d ever be back here in Riverton. He’d left right after telling her that he wasn’t cut out to be a father, but he’d be sure to send money to help out. She’d never heard from him again.
And now here he was.
He wore a pair of scrubs with a name badge attached to his hip. He quickly sat in the chair next to hers and smiled as if he hadn’t simply left her high and dry to raise their child on her own. He’d been twenty when they’d met. She’d been twenty-three. They were both so young. So damn young. But still, by the time Ellory was born, he’d been twenty-one, and more than capable of stepping up and being the father Ellory needed…and a man Addison could lean on. But that had ended pretty quickly. He’d found out that having a baby around wasn’t all fun and games, and that was that. He was gone.
“Brady,” she said.
“It’s so good to see you. You look great. I see that red hair of yours hasn’t toned down at all, huh?”
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Are you a doctor?” she asked, not sure what he was doing here.
“Oh, no.” He laughed a little too loudly. “I’m a domestic attendant.”
Addison barely resisted the urge to snort. “A janitor.”
“Well yeah, but it pays really well. Especially in healthcare. You’d be surprised by how many people turn up their noses at cleaning a little blood or other bodily fluids. I’m surprisingly immune to the sight of poop these days.”
That was especially ironic, considering he used to gag when Addison changed Ellory’s diapers.
“What areyoudoing here? Wait, are you sick?” he asked.
“No. I’m here with Ellory,” Addison said, gesturing across the room where her daughter was still playing with the toddler, oblivious to the fact her biological father was in the same room as her for the first time since she was a month old.
His head turned, and the way his eyes widened was almost comical. “Holy crap. She looks exactly like you. What is she, like eight now?”
“Twelve,” Addison informed him, the irritation easy to hear in her voice. The fact that he had no idea how old his own daughter was shouldn’t have been such a surprise to her, and yet it was.
